GU-Q Professor Gerd Nonneman Recognized with Al Faisal Award for Gulf Studies
Dr. Gerd Nonneman, Professor of International Relations and Gulf Studies and Chair of International Politics at Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q), was awarded the Al Faisal Global Foundation Award for Gulf Studies, in the International category, at the 34th Doha International Book Fair. The award, presented by HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, Founder and Chairman of the Al Faisal Global Foundation for Culture and Knowledge, honors his lifelong contributions to deepening global understanding of the Gulf region’s politics, economy, and international relations.
“The award is a wonderful honor, especially because it highlights both the importance of this field of study, and the fact that it has become––in the past 15 years or so––a mainstream part of wider Middle East studies,” said Dr. Nonneman,
Adding: “This reflects, of course, a recognition of the region’s importance in terms of energy and finance since the late 1970s, but it goes much deeper: the socio-economic development of the region is a unique case study of the opportunities and challenges that come with the combination of local culture and exceptional resources; but also of the ways in which small states can carve out a hugely impactful role in global affairs, as Qatar has shown.”
At the awards ceremony, Dr. Nonneman observed that one of the most important trends in the field of Gulf studies has been the increased contribution of scholars from within the Gulf region itself, including younger and women scholars: “It gives me great hope for the future of the field,” he said.
Widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost scholars on the Gulf, Dr. Nonneman’s extensive body of work spans the international relations of the Middle East, Gulf foreign policies, the political economy of the GCC states, the Qatar crisis, and European engagement with the region. His research has appeared in numerous books, journal articles, and academic volumes, and he currently serves as the Editor of the Journal of Arabian Studies. He is also a former Executive Director of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies.
Dr. Nonneman previously served as the Dean of Georgetown University in Qatar, helping guide the campus’s academic and institutional development from 2011-2016. Before joining GU-Q, he held the endowed Dr. Sheikh Sultan Al-Qasimi Chair in Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter, where he had earned his PhD in Politics two decades earlier. At Exeter, he also directed the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies and the Centre for Gulf Studies.
Throughout his career, he has consulted for governments, multinational organizations, NGOs, and companies, and has taught courses in foreign policy analysis, international relations, and Gulf political economy.
He summed up his experience over 40 years of studying the region as not just a scholar and professor, but a student: “I have continued to learn from my friends, students, and colleagues in Qatar and the Gulf –– something for which I am immensely grateful.”
This international recognition comes as Georgetown University in Qatar celebrates its 20th anniversary. As a long-standing partner of Qatar Foundation, GU-Q has become a cornerstone of academic and research excellence in the region. Through teaching, scholarship, and community engagement, the university has contributed to shaping future global leaders and fostering deeper understanding of the region’s complexities. Dr. Nonneman’s award is a testament to the university’s enduring impact and its commitment to advancing knowledge with global relevance and local insight.